“The day belongs to us. El presidente does not expect you until much later this evening. We are alone. I will wait no longer for you, for I have waited too long already.”

As he moved toward her, long swift strides that brought him to her in only a few steps, Ginny reached beneath her skirts and whipped out the wicked dagger. It briefly caught the light, a sharp glitter of warning, then sliced across Luna’s arm as he reached out for her.

It brought him to a sudden halt, and he drew in a hiss of pain, staring in disbelief at the bloody gash opened in his sleeve and arm.

“Little bitch, do you think that will stop me!”

“It was not meant to stop you, only to warn you. I am not a novice with this knife, General, and you would do well to remember that should you try to come any closer.”

Anger glittered in black eyes, and his mouth twisted into a sneer. But he inclined his head in a surrender, and said harshly, “I yield for the moment.”

Ginny did not relax her guard when he moved a step away from her and pulled off his coat to examine his arm. It oozed blood, dripping to the carpets on the tile floor, bright-red splashes that slowly diminished.

“You will forgive me, General, if I request that you tend your wound in your own home. Circumstances being what they are, I would be more comfortable if you left at once.”

“I am certain that you would.” Luna slanted her a disdainful glance as he moved to the sideboard that held crystal decanters. “But surely you will be civilized enough to allow me a drink before I leave?”

He poured a liberal amount of brandy into a small snifter and turned to face her, his white shirt stained with blood as he lifted his arm in a mocking salute.

“To a beautiful gypsy whore!”

Before she could anticipate it, he tossed the brandy into her eyes, temporarily blinding her as he leaped forward agilely. A crushing blow of his hand disarmed her, and she heard the knife clatter to the tile floor as Luna captured her arm.

“And now,” he promised softly, “I shall have to punish you for your insolence. But I think you may learn to like it before I am done.”

Half-blinded, struggling, Ginny screamed only once as he dragged her across the sitting room toward the door of her bedroom. Outside there was too much noise, too many shouts and even fireworks to celebrate Don Porfirio’s triumphant arrival. No one would hear her.